“Curation” gets used a lot in distribution, sometimes because people genuinely do it, sometimes because it sounds good in a pitch deck. Underneath the buzzword is something simple and old: a person (or small team) takes responsibility for selecting and organizing work with intention. It’s the same instinct that shapes how you dress, plate a meal, or arrange books on a shelf. You’re saying, Here’s what matters, why, and here’s a path through it.
At Nukhu, our goal is straightforward: help people spend more of their limited time watching truly good films. We use technology to make that easier, but the heartbeat is human judgment. Taste is subjective; standards don’t have to be. So we’ve written ours down.
Our Working Definition
Curation = Selection + Organization + Context.
Selection: What makes the cut and what doesn’t.
Organization: How we group, pace, and present what’s selected so it’s discoverable.
Context: The notes, tags, and framing that help you understand why this film belongs here.
This isn’t gatekeeping for its own sake. It’s stewardship. The internet can show you everything; a curator helps you find the right thing for right now and makes a case for why it deserves your attention.
What We Look For (Three Recurring Themes)
These aren’t boxes to tick; they’re lenses we return to in every review. A film doesn’t need to “max out” all three to be selected, but the best work has a living presence in each.
1) Concept
Is there a real idea at work? Something that asks for thought beyond what’s on the surface.
Is there a story? Not necessarily plot-heavy, but purposeful movement: from A to B to changed.
Does the film know what it’s about, and does that “aboutness” stay true from first frame to last?
2) Aesthetic
Is this an engaging execution of the concept? Craft matters: writing, performance, rhythm, sound.
Does the form fit the content? Choices in format, composition, design, and sound that belong to this story.
Is there a point of view in the making? A signature we can feel even if we can’t name it right away.
3) Relatable (Resonance)
Does it express something recognizably human? Not generic, but universal through the specific.
Can it reveal something about ourselves? A mirror, a window, or both.
Does it linger? When the credits end, does anything keep vibrating in you?
How We Practice Curation
Small, accountable team. A committee watches widely and debates openly. No single taste rules; a shared standard does.
Two-pass viewing. First pass for gut and craft; second pass for coherence with our catalog and audience.
Tags and notes with care. We use genre and theme tags to aid discovery, not to funnel you into sameness.
Context, not spoilers. We frame why we chose a film and who might love it, without stealing discovery.
Iterate and revisit. As the catalog grows, we re-group, re-shelve, and occasionally retire work to keep the whole alive.
We use analytics as headlights, not a steering wheel. Data can tell us what connected; it doesn’t tell us what matters next. That part is human.
Why Curation Matters (Especially Now)
Attention is scarce. Choice without guidance becomes noise. Curation lowers the cognitive tax of “what should I watch?”
Trust compounds. If the last three recommendations moved you, you’ll try the fourth that looks unfamiliar. That unlocks risk-taking.
Diversity needs advocacy. Algorithms lean toward more-of-the-same. A curator can widen the lane and bring international, independent voices to the front.
Artists deserve context. A good program doesn’t just host a film; it introduces it, placing it among peers so its strengths are legible.
Communities form around taste. Shared references, ongoing conversation, and a sense that someone is tending the garden.
Curation isn’t about saying “no” to be precious. It’s about saying a principled “yes,” over and over, until those yeses add up to a place you recognize.
A Note on Subjectivity
Taste is personal. We won’t pretend otherwise. What we can promise is consistency: the same questions asked of every film, the same willingness to be surprised, and the same care in how we present the work to you. Disagreement isn’t a bug; it’s a feature of a living culture. If something we selected didn’t hit you, tell us why. If it did, tell someone else.
If that sounds like the way you want to watch, welcome. Pick a Nuvee, watch on purpose, and let us know what it did to you.
Sanjay Singh
Chief | nukhu.com | Milky Way
What do you think? When does curation help, and when does it get in the way?